Home Sweet Home
by VisionGirl
Summary: Angel & Co. are trapped in a haunted house with malevolent spirits. They must work together to survive, and in the process, learn more about each other than ever thought possible. (C/A undertones)
1. Into the Mansion

[Disclaimer] Please don't sue me. They arent mine!  
[Feedback] I remember reading other fics and thinking, "Why do they ask for feedback so much?" And now I know. I love the stuff! Please send!  
[Pairing] C&A all the way.  


"Angel Investigations, we help the helpless." Fred said automatically as she picked up the ringing phone. "Ok... Ms. Nede, was it? Well you can come on in anytime today, if you'd like. I'll set you an appointment...... Ok we'll see you at four then." Fred hung up the phone and picked up the sheet of paper she had written the notes on. Following Wes and Angel's voices, she made her way to Wesley's office. "Wes." She said, "We have a new potential. She said she'd be coming in at four."

"Ok, thank you, Fred." Wesley said in his crisp British accent. Fred beamed at him and walked back into the lobby.

Fred hummed her own made up song as she walked lazily into the lobby. It was such a slow week at the hotel, a new client would be great. Maybe a missing person, or a murderer who needs to be brought to justice. Fred sat down at her place behind the desk. A moment later, Cordelia walked into the lobby, with Gunn behind her. 

"Ok," Cordelia said, "Lets get down to business... who ordered the Pork Fried Rice?"

"Tacos?" 

"Yes, Fred. I have your tacos." Cordy tossed Fred her taco supreme, and continued to dig through the bag. 

"The rice is mine, Cordelia." Wes said as he stepped out of his office. Cordelia handed him his food and reached into the bag once more. 

"O pos?" She said, "I wonder who that could be." 

Five minutes later found the A.I. team sitting in the lobby, enjoying their lunches.

"So what's the new client like?" Gunn asked, "Did she tell you about the mission?"

Fred shook her head no as she put more taco sauce on her food. "Her name is Eve Nede. She didn't say much more than that."

"Well a boring case is better than no case." Gunn said as he finished off his chinese food. 

"Maybe it will be something big! Like a new hellmouth or something."

Cordelia stood from the floor and brushed off her jeans. "Hate to squash your hopeful thinking, but no vision. I think this lady may just have some guy who won't leave or a ghost. Hey maybe I can introduced them to Dennis?"

"I'm afraid it isn't that easy."

All eyes of the A.I. team turned to the doorway to see a young, classy woman standing on the steps. "My problem... is a bit bigger than that.

*****

"A few months ago, my grandfather moved into a manor that his family once owned." Eve began her story as the crew sat around, paying close attention. "He lived there for about 2 months. Then became very ill. He died last week and left the manor to me. When I went in the house to look around... strange things started to happen. I think it's haunted." Cordy shot Fred a knowing glance. "But it's not that easy. This ghost... it isn't very nice. I did some research and it turns out everyone who has owned that house has died within a year of moving in."

"Why doesn't your family just sell it?" Gunn asked.

"The Manor is a very nice piece of property, worth quite a lot of money. But it's been in our family for hundreds of years. It's hard to just sell ancient history like that." 

"I understand." Wes said, "So you want us to exorcise it?"

"If you could... I'm willing to pay quite a bit of money."

"We'll get right on it." Angel said, standing up. 

Eve reached into her purse and produced a wad of bills and an address. "This is my down payment. There's more to come once the house is clean." And without another word she turned and left.

"This is going to be so simple." Cordelia said as she stood and stretched, not amused. "We'll be done in no time."

*****

"This is interesting..." Wes said as he read the thick book on his desk.

"What's that, Wes?" Fred asked. 

"According to these city records, Nede Manor doesn't exist."

"What?" Cordy asked from her place on the floor.

"Nede manor isn't in any of these records."

"Do you think she was playing around with us?" 

"Only one way to find out, I suppose. Cordelia, you and Fred go to the address and see if anything is there. Don't get out of the car, just go look."

Cordelia stood up and mock saluted Wes. "Sure thing." She said and grabbed Fred's arm. "We can stop by the mall on our way back. Angel, I need your car."

"Do be careful, Cordelia."

"No problem. It's just a house."

*****

"Wow." Fred said in awe, "That's quite a house."

"I'll say." Cordelia turned the car off and stepped out, still staring at the mansion in front of them. "How could this not be in any records? It should have its own zip code!"

"Maybe it's new?"

"She said it was in the family for years. That's so weird." Cordelia pulled out her polaroid camera and snapped a quick pic of the mansion. Fred huddled around her as the picture came into focus. "Such a nice house." She said again as she stared at the picture. Nothing seemed out of place or different. "Ok, Fred. It's off to the mall for us, our work here is done!" 

*****

"What did you find?" Wes asked Fred and Cordelia as they walked into the lobby. 

"Nothing weird." Fred said, carrying some shopping bags. 

"Yeah." Cordelia agreed, "The house is there and everything." She pulled the picture out of her back pocket and handed it to him.

"See?" 

Wes took the picture from her and examined it. "What's this?" He asked and handed it back. 

"The house!" She snatched the picture and looked at it. "What the hell?" The house was gone. Instead of a picture of a big beautiful victorian house, there was an empty, run down lot. Riddled with weeds and litter, it was evident that it had gone a long time without care. "Wes, there was a house there."

"Yeah! I saw it too." Fred said. 

Wes shook his head. "This is odd. I guess we'll go there tonight. Do an exorcism. Cordelia, I need you to go find an Orb of Nomed."

"Yeah, ok, I'll get one out of my back pocket, just hang on there a sec, Wesley."

Wes glared at her for a moment before writing down an address and handing it to her. "Go to this shop. They should have one, or know where to get it, I believe."

Cordelia took the address and stuffed it in her purse. "And then what?" 

"Meet me at the house." 

"Ok. See ya soon." She gave Fred a final wave bye as she stepped out the door, and into the darkness.

*****

"Where is she?" Wes asked, annoyed.

"Maybe she got lost." Gunn answered.

"Or they didn't have it." Fred offered. Then noticed the black convertible in the distance. "Oh, here she comes."

Cordelia pulled up and turned off the car. "Sorry it took so long, your stupid orb took forever to find." She tossed Wes the orb and he caught it, then shot her a look. 

"Are we ready?" Angel asked his comrades. 

"Ready as I'll ever be." Fred said, a little nervous.

"It's just a routine exorcism." Wes reassured, "We've done this before."

The A.I team started walking up the path to the front doors. "This place is huge!" Gunn said in awe. 

"Yeah, it is." Fred said, "It could be a hotel. Like the Hyperion!" 

Wes tried to open the front door to the mansion, but it wouldn't budge. "Hmm. Weird." He tried again.

"Yo, English, let me try." Gunn pushed his way in front of Wesley and tried to door. It still would not move.

Cordelia sighed and shoved both men out of her way. "You guys are such wimps." She said as she tried the door and it opened easily. 

"How?" Gunn questioned. 

"Let's just get this done, already." Angel said. Everyone agreed as they stepped inside. Angel, however, did not. They didn't noticed as they walked into the foyer and looked around. "Guys?" He asked as he tapped to invisible barrier of the threshold, "Invite?" 

"Oh. Of course" Cordelia said, "Come on in." 

Angel stepped into the house and looked around, unimpressed. "My mansion in the cemetery was bigger than this."

"Someone having an inferiority complex?" Cordelia asked. Angel shot her a look, then opened the book he held in his hands. 

"Ok, lets do this." Gunn said as he took a piece of chalk and began drawing a big circle around Wesley.

"Hmmm..." Angel said as he looked around. "This isn't right."

"It says to make a circle with white chalk." Gunn protested. 

"Not that. There's a presence here... but it isn't a ghost. It's something...bigger." 

"A fat ghost?" Fred asked.

Angel looked at her puzzled, before turning his attention to Wesley. "Did you find anything weird about this place in your research?" 

"That's just the thing. I didn't find anything in my research." 

"Yeah, and check out this picture me and Fred got." Cordelia reached into her purse and pulled out the Polaroid. Angel took it and looked at it closely. 

"What's wrong with it?" He asked.

"It's supposed to be the house!"

"I see that." He handed the picture back to her. 

"What!?" Cordelia stared at the picture in surprise. The house was there. The doors, the roof, the windows, everything. It was normal. "When I took this picture, everything was normal. But when I brought it back to Wes, the house was gone."

"It was." Wes agreed as he took the picture. "This is odd." 

Cordelia bit on her bottom lip as she looked around the foyer nervously. "Hey guys?" She said. 

"Yeah?" Angel answered, distracted.

"I had a vision."

All ears turned to her. "Of?" Wesley asked.

"Evil."

"What?" 

"I mean, suddenly, this whole lobby was full of thick black smoke. And it wasn't just smoke it was..._something._ We need to get out of here."

_Oh, I don't know about that._

Angel and his friends exchanged glances as a husky voice filled the room.

_We have things to do, you know. You aren't going anywhere for a long time. You may as well make yourself comfortable. _

* * * * *

TBC


	2. Trip Down Memory Lane

[Disclaimer] Please don't sue me. They arent mine!  
[Feedback] I remember reading other fics and thinking, "Why do they ask for feedback so much?" And now I know. I love the stuff! Please send!  
[Pairing] C&A all the way.  
[A/N] Thanks to Pysche for Gunn and Angel's flashbback. Fred, Cordy, and Wes' are original. (Believe me, it's quite obvious!)

"Ok, everybody calm down." Angel said automatically.

  
"Whats going on here, Angel?" Fred asked warily.   
  
_You'll see_. _You'll see very soon._

"Angel man, the door won't budge." Gunn said. Cordy reached around him and tried it herself.   
  
"He's right." She said.   
  
"Ok. We'll just find another way out of here." Angel said. "Stay together, and keep each other in your sights. We'll go upstairs, see if theres a fire escape. With a house this big, there must be." Everybody nodded in agreement and started their way through the foyer. The foyer stretched out ahead of them, and at the end lay a large, redwood staircase. Slowly and silently they made their way up the stairs. Once at the top, they took in their surroundings. To the left, lay a long corridor, at the end of the corridor was a set of double doors. To the right, another long corridor, with a pair of french doors leading to a balcony of some kind. "Everybody ok?" He was met with a series of grumbles and murmurs. Angel led them to his left and walked into the first door. 

The room was dark and shady. Not big, but definitely not small. A small loveseat sat in the far corner, and a window pointed towards the backyard, riddled with weeds. They all crammed their way into the room.

"Theres nothing in here." Fred said as she ran her hand over the wall. As her fingertips touched the crackling paint, she gasped.  
  
_"Theres that runaway cow!" _

  
Fred ran as hard as her legs would allow. She was losing strength and running out of breath. She tugged at the collar around her neck and sobbed when it wouldn't come loose. How did she get stuck in this... this hell? One minute she was in her library, and now, now she was here! A slave in a weird dimension with human-haters and... Fred suppressed another sob as she ran farther into the forest.   
  
"I want to go home..."

"Fred?" Gunn asked as he walked to her. "Fred, what's wrong?"  
  
Fred blinked and looked around. She wasn't in Pylea. Nope, just the freaky mansion. She let a sigh of relief. "Nothing." She said. "Just a flashback." 

Cordelia sighed as she sat in the loveseat. "What's going on here?" She asked to no one in particular. She hung her head in her hands, but looked up as a vision struck.  
  
_Cordelia sighed as she looked out the window. Beautiful Christmas lights lit up the street. This was her eighth Christmas. Last year, she had asked for dolls and toys and clothes. This year, her list was small. She wished her parents would come back from Europe and spend Christmas with her. Minutes turned to hours, and soon she was joined by Maria, her maid.   
  
"Ms. Chase? I just got off the phone with your parents. They said they will be back next week, in time for New Years."   
  
Cordelia sighed and brought her knees to her chin.   
_

"Merry Christmas, Maria." She sighed.   
  
"Merry Christmas, Cordelia."

"Whoa." Cordelia said as she stood up. "I just had a vision... but it wasn't a vision. It was a memory."

"Me too." Fred confessed. "Of Pylea. What was your memory?"  
  
"Nothing important."   
  
Gunn looked around. "Maybe this room has some serious mojo going on." He leaned against the wall. "Maybe-"

__

"Alonna?" Gunn asked as he saw Alonna walk towards him.  


"Hey, big brother." Alonna said. Gunn let out a relieved sigh. "What took you so long?"   


Gunn smiled at her. "You're not..." Gunn noticed her neck. "Dead."   


"Well..."   


Gunn shook his head. "No."   


"Shh! Don't be sad. - I'm not."   


"They killed you."   


"Do I look dead to you? - I am stronger, faster and better than ever. - Wanna see?" Alonna laughed as she pushed his chest and sent him flying. "We were on the right track - just on the wrong team. All that rage and hatred we got? We get to keep all that, only on this side there is no guilt, no grief - just the hunt and the kill - and the fun! And come on, how often did we go out in the daylight anyway?" 

  
"Alonna, I can't do this!"   


"You were made for this. - Oh, and all that misery and moping gone, I promise you."   


"I was never gonna let anything happen to you. I was supposed to protect you. You were my sister."   


"I still am." Gunn shook his head. "So why don't you kill me? - Why *don't* you?" Alonna spread her arms wide. Gunn just looked at her. "Ah! *You* can't! Because you got the guilt - and I got the greatest guilt cure ever. I can free you! We can be together - our family can stay together - forever. Remember when we were kids - in that shelter on Plummer Street, hmm?" Gunn nodded. "Second floor was all rotted out. - You used to dare kids to cross, and of *course* you were the best at it, because you were the - you were the bravest. I wanted to be like you so bad, so I went up, and the floor gave out. I would have broken my neck, but - you'd been watching me the whole time. You were standing right below - and you caught me. - Ever since I can remember you've been looking out for me. - But you don't have to any more, because I'm good, and it's my turn to look out for you now."   
"How?"   


"Look at you. You're running and hiding, cold and hungry. You call that living?" Gunn looked down. "You're the one that's falling now. Let me catch you. - Don't you want to stop falling?" Gunn nodded slightly. "I'm gonna fix it." Alonna morphed into her vamp-face. "Oh, say goodbye to everything you ever knew." She wrappped one arm around his neck and stretches up to bite him. 

  
Gunn pushed the stake into his sister's chest. "Goodbye."

Gunn stood in silence for a moment before standing himself up straight. "Let's get out of here." He said. Everyone nodded in agreement. 

"Good idea, Gunn." Wes said as he reached out and grabbed the doorknob.

__

"Daddy, I'm sorry." Wesley said as his dad dragged him into the basement. "I won't do it again!"

"I'll teach you to steal from me, you little brat!"   
  
Wesley felt himself being thrown into the closet under the stairs. "Daddy!" He screamed as the door shut and locked. Wesley sat down on the floor and curled himself a ball. It was his own fault. He should have known better. But they looked so good. Milk chocolates wrapped in silver tin foil. His dad kept them on the nightstand next to his bed. When Wesley had gotten home from school, he thought he could get away with eating one...just one. But no, Dad found out. Wesley swallowed a sob that threatened to escape his throat. "I'm sorry." He said as he closed his eyes and prepared himself for a long night in the darkness.

"You alright, Wes?" Angel asked as he grabbed Wesley's hand from the knob and turned the door. It popped open easily. Everyone gladly made their way out of the room. a trip to the past had not been what they wanted.   
  
"Ah, to be free again." Cordelia said as she made her way into the hall. "Trips down memory lane are never fun. Angel, what did you see?"  
  
Angel looked at her. "Nothing." He lied. In reality, the scene was still very vivid in his mind.

__

"Name's Angelus." Angel said, game face on. 

  
"I don't wish to resort to drastic measures," Wesley warned, "but unless you listen, I warn you.." 

  
"You warning me? What happened, Wes? - Did you suddenly grow a pair? Well, that's it, isn't it? I mean, that's the whole root of your inferiority complex. Well, good news, Wes, old boy! You don't really have an inferiority complex. You're just simply – inferior." Angel picked Wesley up and tossed him into a corner, knocking him out. 

  
"Wesley, no!" Cordy yelled. She turned to Angel "Well, oh, why don't you juss-ss.." 

  
"Juss-s?" Angel mimicked. "Line? 'Of course a time will come when Torvald is not as devoted to me'. - You were really, let me tell you, bad." 

  
"Stop it." 

  
"Why? You didn't. I mean, I've been to hell but *that* was so much worse!" Angel turned to Rebecca. "You had to be there. I mean, there wasn't a dry eye in the house, everybody was just laughing so hard." He turned back to Cordy. "Here's a thought. Maybe you can get Raven here to coach you, then you'd actually suck!" 

  
Cordy pulled off the top of her water container and threatened him with it. "Back off!"   


Angel laughed. "What are you going to do? Melt me?" 

  
"One more step and you'll find out. You think this is just water?"   


"You're bluffing."   


"Am I? You don't think I wasn't ready for this, do you? That I hadn't prepared for it? Why do you think I have a stake stashed in my desk – a cross in my bag? I think about this happening - every single day!"   


"That's just drinking water."   


"Fresh from a mountain spring, delivered right to our door – then blessed every second Tuesday by Father Mackie, the local parish priest, while you're down in the Bat-cave, sleeping through the better part of the day. - You don't believe me? - Have some!" She tossed the water in Angels face. He groaned and turned away, then straightened back up, staring, not burned. 

  
Cordy smirked. "And the Oscar goes to..."

"Angel!"

Angel looked up and saw the group waiting for him, a few feet outside the door. "Sorry, guys." He said as he caught up to them. "Just thinking."

*****

"We've been walking forever." Cordelia complained as they made their way down the west corridor. She stopped in front of a large oak door. This one was much different than the others. It was darker, and had intricate carvings all over it. "I wonder what's inside." She mused. She started to turn the handle, but Angel smacked her hand away.

"We don't know what's in there." He said. 

Cordy shrugged. "A couple more visions? Nothing I can't handle. C'mon, I want to see, and I'm going to. You can come in with me or wait out here." She turned the handle and stepped inside. This room was large, and just as dark as the last. The group followed her in. "Nothing here." Cordy said as she looked around at the empty room. 

Then she looked up, and screamed. A gray, scaly demon clung to the ceiling. Upon being noticed, it screeched and jumped down.

"Cordy!" Fred yelled.  


Angel grabbed her and pulled her away from the demon. The demon screeched again, and then spit out a glob of phlegm. It landed on Cordelia's shoulder.   
  
"Ew!!!" She screamed and tried to wipe it off. Angel punched the demon and it flew backwards, unconscious.   
  
"That was too easy." Angel noted. "There has to be a catch."  
  
"Angel..." Cordy said concerned, then fell to the floor.   
  
"What is it?" Gunn asked as the group knelt down beside her.   
  
Cordy frowned. "I can't feel myself."   
  
"What?" Angel asked.   
  
"Me. I can't move. Everything's numb." She blinked heavily. "It's hard to breathe. Angel...?"

Angel bent to pick her up, but was interrupted by a loud screech. He looked up and saw the demon standing to its feet. "Get out of here!" He yelled to his friends. Fred, Gunn and Wes turned to run out. Wes and Gunn made it to the hallway, and turned to catch Fred. But they weren't quick enough. A loud grumble started faint and then grew louder and louder as the floor started to crack.   
  
"Wes!" Fred yelled as she tried to make it to the door. The noise was so loud now, she could hear nothing but the crashing around her, and Cordelia screaming.

Then, everything went black.

*****  


Gunn and Wes stared in shock at the room ahead of them. What was once a large, empty room, was now a large black hole. Even the walls had fallen around them. Nothing could be seen inside.

"How is this possible?" Wesley said as he stared. "There isn't anything in there. And I have a feeling they didn't land on the second floor."  
  
Gunn shook his head no. "Everything's just...gone." He stuck his head in and looked down. "We need to find someway to them. Cordelia's hurt, and for all we know, so are Angel and Fred. We should go downstairs, and look around there."  
  
Wesley nodded, then shut the door. "God be with them."


	3. Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall

[Disclaimer] Please don't sue me. They arent mine!  
[Feedback] I'm a card holding feedbackoholic   
[Pairing] C&A all the way.  


"Angel?" Fred asked, weakly. She looked around at her surroundings. This room was darker than the last. She could barely see in front of her face. Fred pulled herself to her feet. "Angel?" She asked again, louder. No reply. "Angel!" She yelled, a little afraid now.   
  
"Fred?"   
  
Fred turned towards the sound of the voice. She could barely make out the shadows of Cordelia sprawled on the floor, and Angel covering her body with his. "Angel?" she ran to them. "Is she ok?"   
  
"Doing just great for someone who can't move." Cordy quipped softly. "Angel, I can't breathe. It's hard."   
  
"Shhh..." Angel said, obviously worried, "That slime from the demon must have paralyzed you...I'm going to figure this out." He looked around. "Hey." He said. "There's no debris."

  
"All you care about is a mess?" Cordy asked.   
  
"No, I mean, we just feel like 50 feet. The entire room feel with us. And there's no debris. No dust, wood, tile, nothing." 

"How can you tell?" Fred asked, "Its so dark... oh... right. Vam- Hey. Did you hear that?"  
  
"What?" Cordy asked. "Hear what? Please tell me there are no more 'thats'."

Angel nodded. "Yeah. I heard it." He looked up, and noticed something slither into the far end of the room. "Fred." He whispered. "Walk towards me, very slowly."

Fred whimpered, but made her way towards Angel. She was a step away from him when she felt something grab her. "**AHHHHH!**" She screamed and jumped towards Angel. He pushed her behind him. 

  
"Find a way out of here, Fred!" He said, trying to find the new shadow creature. He bent down and grabbed Cordelia. "Cordy, I need you to try to stand."  
  
"I'm trying!" She said frantically. He noticed she was close to tears. 

Angel hooked his arms under hers and pulled her to her feet. "Lean on me." He said as he dragged her towards Fred. "Fred, have you found a door?" He asked.

"Yeah! But it won't move!" Fred sounded just as scared as Cordy did, and he didnt blame her. 

Angel tried the door, but it didn't budge. Cordelia let out a scream as something brushed by her leg and tripped her. In that moment, Angel kicked the door, and light flooded into the room. Fred ran past them into the hall as fast as she could. Angel bent down and grabbed Cordy again. "Get up!" He screamed at her. 

  
"I can't." She cried again. "I'm trying."   
  
Angel looked up and saw the shadow slinking towards them with great speed. "Cordelia, get up!" He yelled and pulled her to her feet. He pushed her out the door, and slammed it behind them. He heard the monster slam into the other side. Angel looked down and saw Cordy crying on the floor in the hallway. He bent down to her. "I didn't mean to hurt you." He said softly.   
  
"It's not that." She said, "I'm just not used to being this...helpless." She looked up. "Angel?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Angel, where's Fred?"

Dread crept over Angel's face as he looked around the hallway. Fred was gone.

*****

"Isn't this the way we came?" Gunn asked Wesley as they walked down the never ending corridor.

"I thought so."   
  
"Hey, this looks familiar." Gunn looked at the _huge_ double doors in front of him. "Wasn't by the staircase?"

"Maybe." Wesley grabbed the handle and opened it up. In front of them lay a huge ballroom. Crystal chandeliers decorated the ceiling, and a cool, white marble floor covered the floor. "This definitely wasn't here before." A fireplace sat in the corner with a simple wind up table clock. Beautifully decorated, soft snow white with gold trim. Wesley heard the bells ring midnight.   
  
Gunn sighed. "The witching hour. Yay us, huh?" Gunn and Wes walked farther into the ballroom. Gunn stood in the center and looked up at the light fixtures. "Man. If I could just get a fraction of what those cost, I'd be happy. Huh, Wes?" He turned to face Wesley. "Wes? Yo, man, this isn't funny. Where did you go? Wesley?" Gunn looked around, worried now. Wesley had disappeared.

*****

"You left her inside the room with that?!" Cordelia yelled at a frustrated Angel.  
  
"No. No I didn't" Angel defended. "She came out here. She was out here before either of us were."  
  
"What if there was something out here that took her? Or ate her?"  
  
"Nothing ate her, Cordy."   
  
"What makes you so sure?"

"See any blood? No? Didn't think so. She has to be somewhere. Fred! Fred, can you hear me!?" Angel walked a few yards down the hall, then turned and walked a few more in the opposite direction. "Fred!" He sighed angrily. "She has to be around here somewhere." He bent down and draped Cordelia's arms around his shoulder. He pulled her to her feet. "Are you feeling any better?" He asked.   
  
Cordelia nodded. "It's getting easier to move."

"Good. You should be back to normal soon." They began walking down the hallway again. "We'll find Fred soon. She couldn't have gotten far in just minutes."

*****

"Angel!" Fred yelled as she ran down the dark, empty hall. She didn't know how she got here. One minute, she was running out of the scary room. When she turned around, the room was gone. So were Cordy and Angel. "Cordelia!" She yelled again. She suppressed a sob. She was completely alone in a huge, scary house. Eve wasn't kidding when she said it wouldn't be easy. Fred soon found herself in front of a bright red door. Cautiously, she turned the handle, and gasped at what she saw.

*****  


Gunn stared at the wall, confused. What was he going to do now? Behind him, the door had been locked from the outside. Ahead of him, was a large, deep pit. On the other side, lay a red door. To his right was a tall stone slab, with a weird poem on it. He sighed and had a seat on the edge of the cliff. He was stuck here. Gunn jumped as he heard the door open. Already in fighting stance, he turned around, ready to defend himself. He sighed at what he saw. "Fred."

Fred ran to Gunn and enveloped him in a hug. "Oh, thank God I found you!" She said as she held on, afraid to lose him again.   
  
"Fred! Where have you been?"  
  
Fred was breathing hard, she wasn't sure if it was because she was scared, or had been running around. "Me, Cordy and Angel fell into this room. And it was real dark, and then this monster attacked us and we couldn't find the door and Cordy couldn't move. But then I found the door but it wouldn't open, then Angel pulled Cordy to the door and kicked it open and I ran outside and when I turned around, they were gone. The room, the hall, the monster, everything. It was all gone!"

"Fred, slow down. It's ok now."  
  
"Charles? Where's Wesley?"  
  
Gunn sighed. "I don't know. We were in a ball room and when I turned around, he was gone. I don't know what happened." He let go of Fred and walked to the poetic slab of stone. "And then I found this. I don't know what to do."   
  
Fred joined him. "It's a riddle." She said, simply. 

__

Everywhere at once, yet nowhere at all

Sometimes I fly, sometimes I crawl

Can't see my body, can't see my face

But you can watch me move from place to place

I'm gone forever once I pass

Enjoy me while you can, it doesn't last

"What good is a riddle?" Gunn asked, angrily. "Besides, this is easy. It's the wind."   
  
Fred shook her head, "I think this may be import-" She was interrupted by the whisper of the wind. It came out of nowhere.   
  
_Wrong_

She heard the words brush past her ear.   
  
"Did you hear that?" Gunn asked.   
  
She looked at him, worried. "I really think you've done it this time."

*****

"We've been looking for a while, Angel." Cordelia said, annoyed. "She isn't here. We need to get back to the lobby, and start looking from the beginning."  
  
Angel nodded. She had a point. "Ok." He said and stopped walking. "But where's the lobby?" He let go of Cordelia and looked around. Cordy felt a little wobbly, but didn't fall. Her body was becoming normal after all.   
  
"Hey." She said and stumbled over to the closest door. "That looks familiar." She pointed down the corridor towards huge double doors. "Remember, we saw those when we first came up to the second floor."  
  
Angel shook his head. "But we're on the first floor again, remember? And are you sure you can stand?" Cordy waved his question away flippantly. 

"Well, maybe it leads to a staircase." She said and started to hobble her way to the doors.  
  
"Cordy, you're going to fall."  
  
"No, I won't."   
  
Angel sighed and they made their way to the doors. "Happy?" He said as he opened the door.

"Oh, wow." Cordelia said as she stepped inside. The room was covered in mirrors. The walls, the ceiling, and even the floor. She looked around, amazed. "This is so cool!" She gushed.   
  
Angel stood beside her and looked at the mirror in front of him. Only Cordy was in the reflection. "I wouldn't know." He said, bored.

  
Cordelia sighed and walked around, face towards the ceiling. "This is the coolest room yet." She said. Walking around, she felt herself trip. Cordelia closed her eyes and braced herself for slamming into the glass wall. The fall took a lot longer than she thought. When she opened her eyes, she was on the floor. "What the?" She pulled herself to her feet. She was in a separate hallway, hidden by the mirrors. "Hey, Angel! Look what I found." She said, trying to get his attention. Behind her, the hall led to a set of stairs. "Angel!" She yelled again.   
  
"Be right there." She heard him say.

__

So, this is what I look like.

Cordy turn in a circle, looking for the source of the voice. "Hello?" She stopped when she saw herself in the mirror...except, it wasn't her. Her reflection was darker. Scarier. She jumped when the reflection spoke to her.

__

Look at you. In this perfect world. With your 'champion' and your friends and your good looks. I'm stuck in here. Where I don't matter. And neither do you. Don't you know mirrors never lie? Your world is all a fake. Nobody cares about you. You're just a self absorbed bitch that everyone tries to please. Just to shut you up.

"That isn't true." Cordelia said, angry. "Who are you to tell me who I am? You're trapped in a mirror! I'm the real one. You have no affect on me."  
  
_I wouldn't say that._

*****

Angel couldn't believe it. It just couldn't be true. He was a vampire. And vampires don't have reflections. But yet, there it was. In one special panel of the far wall, he could see himself. He stared in awe. What the hell was wrong with this house? Angel reached out and touched the mirror. He could feel its cool surface under his fingers. Yeah, it's legit. 

"Angel!" 

He heard Cordelia say his name. To his left and right, he could see her reflection. She was staring around her. Easily amused, he guessed. He turned back to his reflection. 

__

Hey there, Broody Boy.

Angel tried not to jump when his reflection teased him. It didn't work. "Cordy? Hey, Cordy, get out of here."

__

Oh, what's this? You showing concern for someone else? Naw, no way. It doesn't matter you know. After everything you do, she's going to run off for someone else. A human, say? She doesn't really care about you. She's only here for the money, and the free white knight service. You should just get rid of her.   


"Shut up." Angel growled. "You have no right to talk like that." MirrorAngel stepped through the mirror into the real world. 

__

That's where you're wrong. Don't you see? I'm you. I'm the part of you that says what you're afraid to say, and thinks what you refuse to. Mirrors never lie, you know.

Angel struck at the reflection of himself, and was pleased when he heard the satisfying crunch of fist meeting jaw. He watched the reflection crumple to a heap in front of him. Angel shook his head. "Please don't tell me I look like that when I'm unconscious." He muttered to himself. "Come on, Cordy, let's get out of here." Angel looked around and noticed he couldn't see her or her reflection. "Cordelia?" He became frantic. "Cordy! Quit playing!" He looked around him again, and still saw no Cordelia. "Oh, no."

*****

Fred closed her eyes and waited for the axe to get her in two. 

Never happened.   
  
"See, no big deal." Gunn said from beside her. 

Fred opened her eyes. "Yeah, guess not." She looked at the slab again. "The answer is time, by the way." She said. 

A louder gust of wind blew by them, and suddenly ten bright blue stones appeared over the gap. 

"I guess we use these to cross." Gunn said. Fred nodded. "Well, let's go. Ladies first."  
  
Fred hopped to the first rock, unsure of whether to trust it or not. When it didn't fall, she jumped to the next one, then the next, all the way across. When she reached the end she sighed. "That was easy, huh?" She turned to face Gunn. "Oh no." She muttered. "Please, no. I don't want to be alone again." She ran to the edge of the cliff and looked down. "Charles!!!" She screamed. She didn't receive an answer. "Where did he go?" There was no way Gunn could just disappear into thin air.

Right?


	4. Dante's Fun House

[Disclaimer] Please don't sue me. They aren't mine!  
[Feedback] I'm a card holding feedbackoholic   
[Pairing] C&A all the way.  


Fred ran out of the puzzle room and slammed the door behind her. She couldn't take being alone again. No way. She had to find Angel. She ran down on hallway after another, trying to find someone. Running out of breath, Fred stopped running in front of an open doorway. Looking in, she saw it was a ballroom. (Is this the same room Wes got lost in?) She thought. She walked in slowly. "Wesley?" Fred yelled, "Wes? Are you in here?" She didn't get a response. "What the hell is going on here?" She muttered. "Are we ever going to get out?"

*****

(Great) Angel thought, (I lost Gunn and Wes, then Fred, and now Cordy. Some champion.) He walked out of the mirror room and looked down the hall. "Cordelia?" He yelled. "Cordy!" He sighed and kept walking, looking in every room. She had to be around here somewhere.

At least, he hoped she was.

******  


"I have to be crazy." Cordelia muttered to herself. "One minute, I'm talking to my reflection, my REFLECTION of all people, and now, I'm walking in Dante's Fun House." Mirrors surrounded her. In their reflection, she could see doors and furniture, but there was nothing around to CAUSE the reflection. "Boy, is Eve going to get it when I see her. Sending us on this wild goose chase. They need to destroy this house. Forget selling it." Cordelia huffed as she stopped walking. "And I'll be the one to use the wrecking ball." She smiled to herself, amused. "Hey..." She walked to a door that looked different than the others. This one was real! "Jackpot." Cordy mumbled as she threw the door open and walked inside. 

*****

"Ouch." Fred mumbled as she landed. She didn't really understand what happened. First she was looking at a beautiful clock, and when she touched it... well, she woke up here. Fred stood to her feet and looked around. She was outside...kind of. The sky was dark, deep purplish blue. Lighting flash in the distance. The ground was gray and dusty. Pebbles littered the ground, but when she stepped on one, or touched it, it turned to sand. "How did I get here?" Fred looked around, trying to find a door, or even a portal. She suddenly became scared. If there wasn't a door or a portal, how would she get out? How would se be found. She was ready to lay down and cry when she saw something in the distance. "Oh... oh, my gosh! Wesley!" She ran to her friend, who lay on the ground. "Wes! Wes, are you ok?"   
  
Wesley turned and faced her. "Fred?" He jumped up and wrapped her in a hug. "Oh, God, Fred. How did you get here?"   
  
Fred smiled, "I don't know, really. One minute, I was playing with a clock, and then-"  
  
"The clock? That's the last thing I remember too."  
  
"You think that sent us here?"

"I'm sure of it. We need to get out of here. I've been searching everywhere, but I can't find a way." Tears started to well in Wesley's eyes. "I was worried I'd be stuck here forever. So sorry if I act a bit... off." 

Fred nodded. "If I were here for two hours, I'd be a little cuckoo too."  
  
Wes looked at her strangely. "Two hours? No." He showed her his watch. "Fred, I've been here for FIFTEEN hours."

*****

He didn't really understand it. Gunn didn't get how he ended up here, but nonetheless, here he was. He stood in a huge library of some sort. Book case covered the walls, each one filled to the brim with books. But... each book was the same. _Nede Manor_. All the titles were the same. Curious, Gunn picked up the closest book and opened it. Colorful pictures decorated the pages. He sighed and closed the book. Didn't make any sense to him. Every book was the same, and there weren't even words in them. Just pictures. Gunn sighed and made his way out of the room. This house was insane.

*****

Cordelia looked around her deliriously. She was out of that stupid mansion and back home! She was in the Hyperion! She smiled and ran up the stairs. If she found her way out, surely the rest of the gang did, too? "Angel!" She yelled as she ran into his room. "Angel?" She made her way back into the lobby. There she saw Lorne with a few of his bags. "Lorne!" She said and ran to him, "You would not _believe_ what happened. Have you seen anybody else?" Lorne looked at her shocked.  
  
"Yeah.. they just left." He said.

  
"Where are you going?" Cordelia asked when she noticed his luggage.  
  
"I'm leaving Cordelia. What's wrong with you, you act like you don't know."  
  
"Know what?"   
  
"Angel Investigations is dead hon. There's no point in us staying anymore. Wes went back to England and Gunn ran off to the streets. Fred, for all I know, went back to Texas."  
  
"W-what? What do you mean leaving? Why don't they just stay?"  
  
"Nobody wants to, Princess. It's not like there's anything worth staying for, right?"   
  
Cordelia was hurt. "Nobody wants to stay together? Lorne, where's Angel?"

  
Lorne pointed towards Wes's office. "That-a way. See ya later, sweet pea. It's been fun."  
  
Cordelia shook her head and ran towards the office. "Angel!" She yelled, something weird is going on." She walked inside and found Angel holding Connor. "Everybody's leaving!"   
  
"Yeah?" Angel said, not amused. "Aren't you going, too?"  
  
"No! Why aren't you stopping them? We're a family!"

"Because, Cordelia, we have better places to be."   
  
Cordelia sighed with disbelief. "Like where?"   
  
"Sunnydale."   
  
For the first time, Cordelia noticed Angel's luggage beside the front door. "No." She said.

  
"Yeah. I'm going to go back home. Be with Buffy. I told her all about Connor, she can't wait to meet him." Angel grabbed Connor's diaper bag and started walking towards the lobby.  
  
"You can't just leave!" Cordy yelled as she followed him. "What about all this? What about the mission and the baby, and what about...us?"  
  
Angel smiled. "There was never an 'us', Cordelia. And besides, Buffy is going to be Connor's mom now." Cordelia just stared at him. "Oh, and your final paycheck is on the front desk. Have fun!" Angel stepped out the door and closed it behind him.   
  
Cordelia stared around the empty hotel, and finally broke into tears.

*****

"Fifteen hours?" Fred repeated. 

"Yes." He looked at his watch. "I should know... I spent most of the time watching the seconds tick away."

Fred nodded. "We need to find a way out of here. Gunn's been taken and Cordy and Angel disappeared. The house... the house is beyond haunted, Wes. That house is _alive._"  
  
Wes shook his head, disappointed. "It isn't that easy." He said. "I've been trying. I can't do it..."  
  
"What do you mean, can't! We will find-"  
  
Wesley interrupted her. "Watch." He said. He bent down and made a small pile of dirt with the sand. He took Fred's hand and led her five paces forward. "Now turn around." He said. They did as told. The pile was gone.   
  
"Maybe we just can't see it from here." Fred offered. Wes shook his head and started walking towards where the sand pile once stood. It was no where in sight. "We're stuck here." He said. "There's no getting out."   
  
"Wesley, listen. We will find our way back into the house. We will get the rest of the gang and we will get out."  
  
"Fred, we aren't outside. We're still in the house... just, on a different plane. If you're real quiet... you can hear them scream."  
  
"Them?"  
  
Wes nodded. "The entire team is up there. And they aren't having fun."

*****

She was the first thing Angel saw when he walked into the room. Cordelia had tucked herself into a ball against the far wall. "Cordy!" He yelled and ran to her. He lifted her up and held her to him. But something wasn't right... she was cold. "Cordelia?" He asked, worried. She didn't answer. "Oh, God, no." Angel grabbed her wrist and checked her pulse.   
  
There wasn't one.   
  
Angel cradled her chin in his hand and lifted her face to his. Her lips were blue and face had gone pale. "Cordy!" He screamed, louder this time. Angel felt tears run down his cheeks. He couldn't help her in anyway. "Cordelia..." He stood to his feet and picked her up. Quickly, he made his way across the room and laid her down on a loveseat in the far corner. He ran his hand down her cool cheek. "This is my fault." He whispered, "If I had kept a closer eye, I wouldn't have lost you." Angel nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck. "I'm so sorry." He cried. "God, I'm so sorry."


	5. Anywhere But Here

[Disclaimer] Please don't sue me. They aren't mine!  
[Feedback] I'm a card holding feedbackoholic   
[Pairing] C&A all the way- with slight W&F shadows  


"Its your turn."   
  
Wesley smiled at Fred's words, in spite of the situation. "Ok." He said. "Uhmmm...Ok, I got it. In Florida, down in the keys. With a margarita in one hand, and a good book in the other." Fred smiled. Another riveting game of "Anywhere but here."

"That's a good one." She said. Her and Wes were sitting on the dusty ground, with their backs facing each other, using one another to lean against. "Is it day, or night?" 

"Day, of course."   
  
"White sand, or tan?"  
  
"Tough one...white."  
  
Fred smiled again. "Am I there?" 

"Of course you are. You're lying next to me, drinking cold lemonade and you're reading over my shoulder." Wes whispered. There was a silence, but not necessarily an awkward one. 

"What's the book?"  
  
"I don't know... what do you want to read?"

"Little Women."  
  
"Little Women? You've got to be kidding me. I don't know If I want you there now." Fred laughed but said nothing. "Ok, Little Women it is." Another silence. "Your turn."  
  
"Nighttime...the Hyperion lobby. Everybody is there, and we're all exchanging battle stories."  
  
"What's your story?" Wes asked. Their voices had been reduced to whispers by now.  
  
"The time I got lost in a haunted mansion...and somehow survived."

*****  
  
He sounded so far away...

Cordelia tried to focus. But she couldn't. Last she remembered, she was in the Hyperion, crying her eyes out. Now she was in a dark room. She could hear Angel talking, but she couldn't say anything.

Cordelia tried to lift her arm to touch him, but nothing moved. She couldn't even open her eyes. It was like she was in a strangers body. "Angel." She whispered. It wasn't even a whisper, really. It was louder in her head than it was in her throat. She could hear Angel crying. Apologizing. For what? That's when she noticed how cold she was. Her bones felt frozen and her body hurt with the numbing cold. "Angel." She said again. Still no use. He couldn't hear her. The cold was starting to hurt more. Cordelia tried to scream as her inner organs felt like they were being kicked around. (I may as well be dying) She thought as she tried to open her eyes again. "Angel...help."

*****

Angel didn't really know what to do. He knew he had to find the rest of the team, but he could not just leave Cordelia alone. It was his fault this had happened. Angel lay his head on Cordelia's cool stomach and breathed in her scent on last time. "Cordy," He whispered, "I'm going to find everyone else. And we're going to get you out of here. You're not going to stay here. Anywhere but here." His voice started cracking. "We'll get you outside, and you can be buried in the sunlight. Like I know you would have wanted." Angel stood and began to walk out the door. Before he stepped out of the room, he turned and looked one last time. She lay alone in the cold dark room, spread out on the loveseat. Angel shook his head and went back inside. She didn't deserve to lay in the cold like that. 

Gently, he picked her up, and brought her into the brightly lit hall. He laid her on the floor by the far wall and sat down next to her, stroking her hair softly. 

"Angel?" She whispered. This time, he heard her. 

"Cordelia?" He bent his ear towards her mouth. Yes, she was definitely talking. "Cordy, can you hear me?" He noticed the color coming back to her lips and skin.   
  
"I'm so cold." She whispered. Angel ripped his leather duster off and wrapped Cordelia in it. A moment of disbelieving silence was passed between them. Once she felt she was strong enough, Cordelia tried to sit up.

  
"No." Angel said and held her down. "Don't force anything."  
  
She didn't argue, but looked into his eyes with curiosity. "You came back." She said simply.   
  
Angel smiled slightly. "Yeah... I did. I'm sorry about what happened back in that mirror room... I should have paid attention. None of this would have happened."  
  
Cordelia shook her head. "You didn't leave."  
  
Angel's smiled slipped from his face. "Leave? Cordelia, I would never leave you."

Cordelia's voice was reduced to a whisper. "But you _did._" She sat up, regardless of Angel's hand trying to hold her down. "We were in the hotel and you took Connor and left. Angel, everybody _left._ You said there wasn't anything worth staying for."

"Cordy, we've been in this house for hours. We haven't been to the Hyperion. What do you mean I took Connor?"  
  
Cordy's voice grew with anger. "You took him and left for Buffy. You forgot all about the years we've worked together and brought him to Buffy."

Angel shook his head. "Why would I take Connor to Buffy... Cordy, _you're _his mother. You have to listen, none of that happened. When I went in there, you were _dead_."  
  
Cordelia shook her head again. "No, I wasn't I could hear you. I was talking. You must've thought-"  
  
"That room must have done something." Angel stood and helped Cordelia to her feet. 

"It takes our biggest fear and plays with it."   
  
Angel was quiet for a beat. "Your biggest fear is losing me." It was more of a question than it was a statement.  
  
Cordelia looked up at him. "Don't get cocky. I wasn't the only one afraid of losing someone."   
  
Angel smiled as he shut the door to the room. "Glad to have you back, Cordy. Really glad to have you back."

*****

47...48...49...

Wes stared at his watch and watched the seconds tick away. It had been twenty-seven hours since he had gotten lost in the strange dimension. Twelve hours since Fred had joined him. He looked down at his comrade and smiled. Fred had fallen asleep, sitting next to him, head on his shoulder. 

Wes looked to the sky, hoping that the rest of the team had met up and would find a way to get them out. He was disappointed that Fred had to be brought here. She didn't deserve it. He took his eyes off the watch and looked at the sky. It had grown considerably darker, and the lightning was closer.   
  
He felt Fred stir on his shoulder. 

"Hi." She said softly.   
  
"Hi." He said back.   
  
Fred stood to her feet and stretched. "How long now?" She asked. 

"Twenty-seven hours."  
  
"Twenty-seven! That's impossible." Wes shook his head and showed her his watch. Fred ran her fingers through her hair, but stopped midway. "Wes?" She asked, shakily. "Are you sure we're the only ones here?" 

Wes looked around. "I don't see anyone else."   
  
"I saw something...over there." She pointed off to the distance behind Wesley. "Way back there." 

Wesley turned and looked at what she was pointing at. "I don't see anything." He said. "But we should start walking this way, just in case." Wes stood up and he and Fred made their way in the opposite direction. 

"Do you think they know where we are by now?" Fred asked finally.

Wes shrugged. "I don't know. We don't even know if Gunn has found Cordelia and Angel yet. Hopefully, they have."   
  
Fred nodded and looked behind them. "Wes... look."   
  
Wesley turned around and finally saw what she was looking at. In the distance, the shadow of a creature was moving towards them. They couldn't make out what it was, but it was definitely alive, and definitely _not_ human. "Run." Wes said quickly, then grabbed Fred's hand and they took off. 

Even after running for minutes, they could hear the creature catching up to them. "Wes." Fred gasped. "Wes, I can't run anymore."   
  
Wes ignored her plea and continued to pull her. "Fred," He breathed, "We have to get away."  
  
"No." She yanked her hand from Wes's and tried to catch her breath. "I...can't breathe."   
  
"Fred, please." Wes begged as he grabbed her hand again, and this time she let him. They started running once again. 

"This is it, Wes." Fred panted. "There's nowhere to hide, and we can't outrun this thing." Wes ignored her, knowing that she was right. Fred felt herself getting weaker, and eventually, tripped over her feet. She didn't protest or cry out in pain as she landed hard on the dusty ground.   
  
"Fred, get up!" Wes demanded as he tried to pull her up. Fred couldn't move. "Please, Fred." Wes begged, pain cutting his voice, "_Get up_."   
  
"Wes." Fred said, clearly out of breath. "Look." Wes turned to where she was standing.

Just a hundred yards ahead of them, lay a simple wind up clock.  
  
*****

"You sure you're ok?" Angel asked Cordy as they made their way down a dim-lit corridor. "What with you being almost dead and all, are you sure it's a good idea to be walking?"  
  
"As opposed to sitting and waiting for another shadow monster to come and eat me? No, I think I'll take my chances with the walking, thanks." Cordelia said, lightheartedly. "Oh, my gosh. Angel, look."   
  
Angel looked to what she was pointing at. In front of them lay the huge front doors of the mansion.

"The exit!" Cordelia shouted. "We found the exit!" She ran to the door and pulled it open. Angel ran after her.   
  
"What if this is a trap?" Angel asked. But Cordelia was already outside. 

Cordelia breathed the fresh air. "This is great!" She exclaimed. "But, we have to go get the others and save them! Maybe we can tie a rope-"

"No." Angel said sadly.  


"What do you mean _no_? We can't just leave them!"  
  
"I mean no. We aren't outside. Cordelia, this is just another room."  
  
"What? No! No way, we're free."   
  
Angel took in his surroundings. "Look around, Cordy. This place is dead. Desolate."   
  
Cordelia reluctantly looked around her. Across the street, a gas station was brightly lit. A little ways down the road lay an all night supermarket. The neighboring houses were showing signs of occupation, light streaming from the inside, illuminating the street. But no people. Lights, and houses. But no people. "No." Cordelia said, defeated. "We have to be out."   
  
Angel shook his head. "We should just go back 'inside' and find another way out."  
  
"Alright." Cordelia and Angel turned to go back inside, but stopped dead in their tracks.   
  
The house was gone.  
  
*****

"Fred, get up, we have to get to that clock." Wes pulled Fred once more, and this time she didn't refuse. She pulled herself to her feet and started running again.   
  
"We're going to get out of here, Wes!" Fred said happily. Adrenaline took over and she was no longer tired. As they reached their destination, she could feel the weird creature catching up. 

  
"Run faster, Fred!" Wes screamed to her.   
  
Fred tried to pump her legs harder, but then she felt cold clammy hands grab her around the thigh. "Wes!" She screamed as she fell to the ground. The demon rolled her over onto her back and licked its lips hungrily. It's yellow eyes glowed, and slime dripped from every pore. "**WES!**" She screamed louder. From behind her, Wes kicked the slimy gray beast in the face, momentarily stunning it. He reached down and grabbed Fred, pulling her to her feet.   
  
"I hope this makes for a good battle story." Wes said as they finally reached the clock. Simultaneously, they reached down and grabbed the clock, then everything went black.

*****

"There has to be a way out of here." Angel mused as he stared at the lot which once held the house.   
  
"Are we ever getting out of here?" Cordelia mumbled. 

"Look..." Angel pointed to the ground in front of them. "Not everything is gone." They ran to where he pointed. At their feet lay a cellar door.   
  
"Go into the basement of a haunted house? We may as well call the morgue and make reservations." 

Angel looked at her. "Well, would you rather wait and die out here? We have to get in there and save everyone else. We're getting out of here, ok? I promise you."   
  
Cordelia huffed. "Just another routine exorcism, huh?" Angel struggled with the lock of the door. "Angel, what if we all just perish in there? We have been here for like 4 hours. We haven't seen Gunn or Wes since we got here, and Fred just disappeared into thin air like 3 hours ago. For all we know, we're the only ones still alive... well, _I'm_ the only one alive if you want to get technical, and I was inches from dying just thirty minutes ago!" Angel ignored her and kept pulling at the door. "Angel, what if there _is_ no getting out?"  
  
"Cordelia," He said finally, "We're going to get out." At that moment, the cellar door banged inward. The rusted hinges couldn't hold the doors weight and fell into the dank cellar.   
  
"Well," Cordelia said as Angel made his way inside, "Here's to dying."   
  
He shot her a look as he reached up and helped her down. "We're not going to die." He said again. Once inside the cellar, they looked around for some sort of exit. "There." He said as he pointed to a set of stairs against the wall. "Be careful." He said to her as she made her way up the rotting stairs.   
  
"No need to tell me twice. Falling down a set of stairs and being impaled isn't easily forgotten." 

"Sorry."  
  
"Forget it." She reached the top of the stairs, then swung the door open. The sudden brightness startled her for a second, but she quickly recovered and made her way out of the cellar. Angel followed behind her and shut the door. "Wow." She breathed as she took in the picture perfect quality of the room. It looked like it had been ripped right out of MTV's _Crib's_. The high ceilings were carved with beautiful etchings of cherubs. A large fireplace stood against the wall. A canopy bed lay next to the fireplace, silk sheets covering the entire king-size length of it. "This has to be the most beautiful room we've seen so far."  
  
Angel nodded his agreement, and placed his hand on the small of her back. "Beautiful." He said, "But we have to find the others." He led her to the door, and swung it open. They stepped out into the hall, and began their search once more.

*****

When Wes opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was the stars. The real stars. Not stars in some weird dimension. But Beautiful Stars that could only be seen from Home, the beautiful Planet Earth. Wes then realized he was on his back. He didn't exactly remember _how_ he got there. But all that mattered was that he was free of that dusty, depressing hell, and Fred... Wes shot up into sitting position. Where was Fred? He looked around frantically, and finally noticed her sleeping figure a few yards away. He stood and looked around. He was in some sort of garden. He rubbed his eyes before stumbling to Fred and shaking her awake. "Hey, Fred." He said softly. "We made it."

Fred's eyes fluttered open and she looked around. She breathed a loud sigh of relief. "Oh, gosh. I never thought I'd be so happy to see this mansion. She stood to her feet and looked at the garden. Tall, willowy trees surrounded the area, and roses and tulips decorated the ground. "Wow, Wes... This place is beautiful." Wes nodded his agreement. Fred scanned the roses and tulips, and then felt her face drop. "Oh no." She muttered.

"What's wrong?"  
  
"Not again."   
  
Fred lifted one hand and pointed to the gleaming yellow eyes that stared at them from the bushes.


	6. Garden of Eden

[Disclaimer] Please don't sue me. They aren't mine!  
[Feedback] I'm a card holding feedbackoholic   
[Pairing] C&A all the way- with slight W&F shadows  


"It doesn't take an empathy demon to see that the energy in this room is off the charts." Cordy noted as she and Angel made their way into another bedroom. Not nearly as big or beautiful as the last, but still had its own bite. 

"Something definitely isn't right here." Angel said immediately. "We need to get out of this room."  
  
"Something definitely isn't right in any of the rooms."   
  
"No, Cordelia, this is diff-" Angel fell to the floor as he heard himself growl. "Get out of here." He growled at her.  
  
"What's going on?"   
  
Angel slipped into game face. "I...can't control the demon." Cordelia could tell he was forcing himself to speak. 

"No, I won't leave you."  
  
"GET OUT!" He screamed at her with a growl. She stepped back, momentarily stunned, but did nothing else. Angel growled once more and lunged at her. Cordelia let out a scream and braced herself for the impact. He landed on her with brute strength. She could feel the fear taking over her, but she refused to show it. Cordelia squirmed out from under him and made her way to the far wall. 

"Get back." She warned. He lunged again, and this time she struck. Her fist hit a lot harder than she expected, and Angel went sprawling to the floor. "What the hell?" She muttered to herself when she saw her damage. Then it hi t her. The demon. The room intensified the demon in her. And Angel.   
  
Angel jumped to his feet again, and jumped towards her once more. "You're _really_ going to pay for that." He growled. 

"Angel, stop! This isn't you!" He attacked her again, this time, the blow fully connected. She and him tumbled to the floor. Angel smiled as her head make a satisfying thunk sound against the floor. Cordelia cried out in pain, but he ignored her pleas. "Get off!" She yelled again. He ignored her as he brought his fangs to her neck. "Get **OFF**!" She screamed again. She brought her hands to his chest and without trying, focused all her energy. A blast of white light filled the room, and Angel was sent flying across the room. 

Angel stood and grabbed his head, knocked out of his daze. He saw Cordy cowering in the corner, and dropped his game face. It was replaced with a face that had a silent apology written all over it. "Oh my God, Cordy." He whispered as he made his way to her. She didn't flinch or pull back when he touched her, so that was a good sign. "Are you ok?" He took her face with his hands. "I am so...sorry." A tear slipped from her eye. 

"Its alright." She whispered and wiped the tear away. "It wasn't your fault. I...I just forgot how quickly you could become dangerous." A silent look was passed between them. Then, "Let's get out of here, already."   
  
Angel nodded and led her out of the room. "Are you sure you're ok?" He asked once outside.   
  
Cordelia nodded. "Yeah. I... just thought I lost you." She wrapped Angel in a hug. "I was so afraid I lost you."

*****

Wes stared at the eyes that stared right back at him. "Fred." He whispered. "Very slowly, make your way to the door on our left." Fred nodded and started walking. Wes followed. When they were five feet from the door, the beast attacked. "Run!" He screamed. Fred threw the door open and both of them ran inside. Wes slammed the door, then flinched as the beast growled and banged on the other side. "Come on." He said as he grabbed her hand and led her out of the tiny room and into the hallway.

"That was close." Fred said shakily, "Too close. We've been having too many close calls, Wes. We're going to run out of luck.

Wes said nothing as they continued down the hall. He still hadn't let go of her hand. "I know." He admitted finally.   
  
"Maybe-" 

  
"Shh..." He interrupted. "Hear that?" A soft groan could be heard from down the hall. "Fred, you stay right here. I'm going to see what's down there."  
  
"What? No! I'm not staying here to be eaten, or thrown in another dimension."  
  
"So far, the halls have been safe. The creatures don't come here, it's too bright. The rooms are the only enchanted ones. You'll be perfectly safe." Fred whimpered, frightened, but didn't argue. Wes silently made his way up the hall, and stopped outside the door. With a quick, swift move, he opened the door, and gasped at what he saw. "Gunn." He said. He ran to the demon hunter who was laying on the ground, groaning in pain. "What happened?" He asked.   
  
"Yo, English. It's about time you showed your face." He joked, though obviously in pain, "Never thought I'd be so glad to see your ugly mug."  
  
Wesley smiled. "The feelings mutual. Gunn, what happened here?" Wes noted the deep scratches up and down Gunn's body.   
  
"Damn demons, I tell you. I was out in the garden. I heard a noise. Son of a bitch attacked me. This house, this place is crazy. Demons around every corner. People disappearing into thin air." Wes helped Gunn stand. "You found any of the others yet?"

"Fred is outside in the hall. Cordy and Angel have been missing since we got here."  
  
"You left her alone in the hall!"   
  
"She's safe, I promise."

"Yeah." A voice came from the doorway. "I've been taken care of." Gunn looked up and saw Fred. She smiled at him and made her way inside the room. "Well. Three down, two to go."   
  
Wes nodded. "At least we're coming back together. Now we just need to find Angel and Cordelia."  
  
"Hopefully, they're still together and didn't get separated." Gunn added. Wes nodded again.   
  
"Only one way to find them." Fred said as she looked out towards the hall. "Maybe we'll have better luck if we're together."  
  
"This time, we don't do anything alone." Wes said. "We all walk into the rooms together, and we all walk out together." Gunn and Fred nodded their agreement as they made their way out of the room and into the hall again.   
  
Slowly they made their way down the hall until the reached a large room at the end of the corridor. "Should we?" Gunn asked.   
  
"Most of the big rooms lead either upstairs or down..." Wes said thoughtfully, "maybe we will end up on another floor." 

Gunn opened the door and looked inside. It was obviously an office. A large oak desk sat at the far side of the room, flanked by filing cabinets and a computer. "This place can't be that old if they have their hands on a Dell." Gunn joked as they made their way in. Fred went to the computer and turned it on.  
  
"Maybe I can find something." She said, "Files, or history. Even records of taxes or something. Anything to give us a clue." Wes nodded his consent and continued looking around.  
  
"Man, check this out!" Gunn said as he pointed to the floor. About a foot from the floor, there was a nook in the wall. Inside, held an old sword, with a deep jade handle and shiny silver blade. Gunn bent down and picked it up. "This will come in handy." He said as he swung it around. 

"I've got nothing." Fred said as she turned the computer off and headed towards Wesley. "Let's just get out of here."

Wes nodded. "Good idea." He said. The headed for the door, and Wes reached his hand out to grab the door. "It's locked." He said.  
  
"Not again." Gunn muttered. As Gunn spoke, a grumbling sound was heard from above them. All eyes turned to the ceiling as the cement roof started to lower itself onto them.   
  
"Oh..." Fred said, "This can't be good."

*****

"We're never getting out of here, are we?"   
  
Angel looked at Cordelia. They had sat down in the hall, leaning against the cool wall. They had been like that for almost an hour. Angel sighed. "I will find a way out, Cordelia."  
  
Cordy shook her head. "But what if we don't? What if we never see Fred or Gunn or Wes? What if we're lost in here forever! Rooms and doors can change and disappear, and... what if the exit is just... gone?"  
  
"Cordy-"  
  
"What if we never see Connor again?"  
  
Angel turned and grabbed Cordelia by the shoulders. "Listen to me. We are getting out of here. We _will._" 

"So, I've finally found you."  


Cordy and Angel looked up to find the source of the new voice. In front of them stood Eve.   
  
"Eve!" Cordelia said as she rushed to her feet. "What are you doing in here? Do you realize how dangerous this house is?"  
  
Eve smiled. "Yes. I know. Follow me. I have to show you something." Cordelia looked at Angel. A silent agreement was passed, and they followed Eve down the hall. She led them into a small room. In the middle lay a pool of water.   
  
"What's going on here?" Angel asked.

"I've come to make you a proposition. You see... everything... this house. I created it."  
  
"_You_ are the reason we are living this nightmare?!" Cordelia asked, angrily. She was livid.   
  
"Well, I had to lure you here somehow."  
  
"Lure us?" Angel repeated. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"See. I heard the stories. Of the world's champion. So, I decided to bring you to my world... we could wipe out the entire population, and start anew. With the blood of a champion. But when your team arrived, I realized you had a seer. That would make my new species even _better._"  
  
"Wait, wait, wait." Cordelia interjected. "A new human race? Who do you think you are? The powers?"

"Haven't you ever heard of the Garden of Eden?"  
  
"Garden of-"  
  
"Nede... Eden? Eve? As in..."  
  
"Adam and Eve." Angel said.   
  
Cordelia smiled. "That's flattering, really. But you have the wrong people. Angel... he can't _make_ a new race."  
  
Angel smirked. "Yeah. I already had the miracle child. Can't push my luck."

"Besides, I think the whole Creature of the Night would go against your little Holy Crusade." Cordy added.   
  
"I don't know what you're talking about." Eve snapped.

"Angel?" Cordelia said, "The Champion? He's a vampire."  
  
"No! You're lying. He's human, I can smell it. He has a soul."  


"Never said he didn't."  
  
Eve's face fell. "You mean I got _that_ vampire?" She sighed. "Fine...Adam, kill them." For the first time, Cordy and Angel noticed the huge man standing in the shadows. 

The great man stepped out of the shadows and looked at them with willing eyes. "With pleasure." He stepped towards them faster. 

"Get out of here, Cordelia." Angel said as he got ready to fight. 

"What? No!" Cordelia said, and didn't move an inch. "I'm helping!" Adam moved towards them and swung hard at Angel. The fist connected to his chest, and sent him backwards. 

"Angel!" Cordy yelled as she tried to run to him. Adam cut her off, and grabbed her by the throat.   
  
"You are still human." Adam said as he stared into her face. "You will do."   
  
"_ANGEL._" Cordy whispered fiercely. Angel jumped to his feet and ran towards them, but Adam smacked him away effortlessly. Cordy felt her eyes roll into the back of her head and she fought to stay conscious. 

From behind Adam, Angel ducked down and kicked Adam's feet out from under him. In his surprise, Adam dropped Cordelia and fell onto the floor.   
  
"Let's get out of here." Angel said as he picked Cordy up. "We need to find the others before he does."

Cordy nodded and followed as Angel ran out of the room and shut the door behind them. "This way." He said as he pulled her down the hall. Behind them, he heard Adam rip the door off the hinges and take after them. 

"Oh, my God, Angel..." Cordy breathed as they tried to outrun the huge man behind them. He was quickly catching up.   
  
"Here!" Angel said as he pulled her into a room. They were in the huge bedroom they had visited earlier. Angel ran to a huge wardrobe and began pushing it to the door. "Help." He said as it started inching towards the door. Cordy could hear Adam's feet pounding down the hall and she ran to Angel and began pushing the wardrobe. They soon had it centered in front of the door perfectly, and on the other side, Adam pounded on the wooden door. Cordy sighed and leaned against the heavy wardrobe.   
  
"This is insane." She said simply. "How are we supposed to get Fred and everybody with him tearing us apart?"

"We'll think of something, ok? Don't worry." 

Cordelia walked to the bed and dropped her face to her hands. Angel followed her and sat down beside her. She felt the bed move to his weight and she looked to him with wet eyes. "We've been in bad situations like before." She admitted. He nodded. "Nothing like this. People are disappearing. They could be dead for all we know. A crazy lady wants us to breed and make the perfect race, and her humongous henchman is after us." We're trapped in here, Angel." 

"Listen to me. And I mean it, really listen. We're going to get out of here. We always find our way out."   
  
Cordelia looked at him and weakly smiled. "But it's never been this bad."

*****

"What the hell is going on here?" Gunn asked as he watched the dropping ceiling.   
  
"We must have done something to set it off." Fred said, "Maybe opening the door triggered it."  
  
The ceiling was steadily dropping itself onto them. Within minutes, they would be dead. Fred ran to the computer and turned it back on.   
  
"I don't think a chat room's gonna save us now, Fred.' Gunn said.   
  
"No, maybe I clicked on something to set this off." Fred said as she clicked and typed furiously. "Maybe on of these folders is protected. Wes, did you touch anything?"   
  
Wes thought silently for a moment, then: "The fireplace. I moved something on the mantel right before I grabbed the door." He walked to the mantel, and simply moved the picture of the old woman back where it originally was. By now, the ceiling was a foot from their heads and dropping fast. 

"What the hell are we going to do now?" Gunn asked Fred as she continued clicking on the computer. "Did you find anything?"   
  
Fred shook her head no and turned the computer off again. She stood and hit her head on the ceiling. "We're running out of time!" She lowered her head slightly and looked around. Suddenly, everything fell into place. "The sword!" She yelled. "Of course! Gunn, put the sword back!"   
  
Gunn nodded and ran to the small nook where the sword was once held. He placed the sword into the nook, and sighed with relief as the concrete slowly came to a stop. By now, they were all crouching low to avoid hitting their heads.   
  
"Ok." Wes said, "New problem."  
  
"Now what?" Gunn asked.

Wes pointed to the door. With the ceiling in the way, they would be unable to open it. 

Fred's mind worked over time to try and figure something out. "Ok" She said finally, "Gunn, get that sword."

"What? So we can get squashed?"

"No... I'm sure there must be some switch or something in there, right? So if you get the sword, but hold the switch with your finger..."  
  
Gunn nodded his understanding and made his way to the nook once more. He took and out the sword and quickly replaced it with his hand. "Now what?"  
  
Fred took the sword from him and made her way to the door. "Stand back." She said as she began chopping the door to splinters. 


	7. Let's Play Pretend

[Disclaimer] Please don't sue me. They aren't mine!  
[Feedback] I'm a card holding feedbackoholic   
[Pairing] C&A all the way- with slight W&F shadows  
[A/N] Thank you to EVERYONE who has sent me such great feedback!!!!! I write for you guys, and I'm glad you like it.

[A/N 2] I'm becoming one of the people I hate most- the ones who take forever to update. I'm so sorry I havent updated in so long, but I've been super busy this summer, with work. I'm such a lucky soul...pulling 50 hour work weeks. Yippee, and hoorah and all that is good. But I'm trying to update on weekends. I hope to have this complete in a few more chapters... this has turned out much larger than I intended! 

  
"He's gone." Angel noticed as the banging outside ceased.   
  
"But not forgotten." Cordelia sighed, trying to make a light joke. She stood and walked to the big empty fireplace. "How do we get ourselves into these messes." She smiled at him.   
  
"It's all in a days work of helping the helpless." Angel said simply. 

"Think he'll find Wes and the gang?"   
  
Angel didn't say anything. Then, after a beat: "I hope not. None of us are safe in this house." Cordelia nodded her agreement. 

Cordelia hugged herself as she stood by the mantel. "It's getting colder in here." Angel shook his jacket off and tossed it to her. She smiled her thanks and slipped into it. The pleasant scent that was uniquely Angel surrounded her. 

"So," He said, a little too cheerfully. "About that nightmare." He got up from the bed and walked next to me. He had a cheeky grin on his face and looked just a little too cocky for her tastes. "You're biggest nightmare is losing me?"  
  
Cordelia tried not to smile. "Not just you."  
  
"But, I am part of the nightmare, no less?" 

"You are a nightmare, Angel." They were quiet for a moment. "Besides, _your_ nightmare clearly stated that you were afraid of losing me." 

"Well, everyone's afraid of their best friend dying." 

Cordelia smiled to him and turned back to the fireplace. "So what now?" She asked, "Jump out and get killed? Stay in here and let the others die?" 

  
"We have to go get them."   
  
"But... what if they're already gone? What if we step outside and he's there? We'll never be able to warn him with Frankenstein on our case."  
  
Angel looked around and then turned back to her. "We can go back outside. The way we came in."  
  
"And what if the front door is gone again? What if the basement disappears and then we're stuck in that deserted world? We can't save them if we're on a different plane!"

"That's a chance we have to take. We can't save them holed up in here, and we certainly can't save them when we're dead." Angel started to walk from the fireplace and Cordelia followed him. He walked to the back of the room where the large door to the basement stood. "You can come with me, or stay here. I'll come get you once-"

"What? No! Im not playing damsel in distress. Locked in the castle room until the knight in shining armor comes to save me. No thanks."  
  
"You just said you didn't want to go."   
  
"I said I didn't want to go." Cordelia pushed the large door open. "I didn't say I was incompetent." Angel didn't argue as she walked down the stairs to the basement. "So how are we going to find them? We've been here for hours and no luck yet."

"I don't know... we'll just find them."

"If I tell you something, do you promise not to repeat it?" Cordelia pushed the outside door open and walked outside. Angel followed.   
  
"Of course." Was his answer. 

Cordelia sighed and looked around the faux backyard. "I've never been so scared before. And I've seen alot. The Ascension. The Master. You." She shot him an apologetic look. "Vocah. Pylea. We've been through so much, but this is the first time I feel absolutely helpless. This house has us, Angel. It owns us and when it's done playing with us, we're dead. And we can't escape that. We can't stop it. We're going to die in here, Angel, and there isn't anything we can do about it."

*****

Fred winced as her skin tore against the splintered wood. She made her way out of the hole in the door into the hallway. Behind her, Wes trampled his way through. She sighed and looked at the sword in her hands.   
  
"Yo, guys, what about me?"   
  
Gunn's voice could be heard from the other side of the door. His hand still rest in the nook.

"The sword!" Fred said as she remembered. Gunn wouldn't be able to move his hand without the ceiling moving again.   
  
"Ok, I'm going for it." Gunn yelled form the inside again.

"If you feel you cant make it, don't push yourself." Wes advised. Gunn grunted his understanding.   
  
Gunn yanked his hand from the nook in the wall and began to run across the room to the door. Just a few feet above him, the ceiling began to fall quickly.  
  
"Hurry!" Fred yelled. 

Gunn made his way to the door and shoved his head out, then struggled to free the rest of his body. The ceiling was pressing against his legs, and he knew if he didn't hurry, he would become crippled in a matter of moments. Wes and Fred reached down and grabbed his hands, pulling him through the hole in the door just as the cement settled against the ground. A loud thump was heard as the cement hit the floor, and clouds of dust shot through the opening. Gunn panted heavily as he stood to his feet. "That was too close for my comfort." Gunn breathed. 

Wes took his glasses off and wiped the clear lens. "We have to find Angel and Cordelia. Forget doing the spell. Our biggest worry is getting everyone out of here." Gunn and Fred nodded. "Perhaps we should just go backwards...the way we came."  
  
"That's a great idea, Wes." Gunn stated. " 'Cept, we've tried that, and that only led us to being separated. 

Wes rubbed his eyes. "Well what other choice do we have?" His tone was hinting on anger, but his face hid it well. "It's either walk and try to find a way out, or sit here and hope Angel finds us before another demon does. A soulless one, at that." 

"I guess we have no other choice, really." Fred said, sounding somewhat defeated. She gave a weak smile. "Maybe we _will_ run into Angel and -" A loud thump interrupted her. "Did ya'll hear that?"  
  
Gunn took the sword out of Fred's hands and raised it defensively. Another thump was heard, closer this time. "Wes... I thought you said nothing could get us out in these halls, man."

Wes grabbed Fred's arm and began pulling her behind him. "We haven't been attacked while out here." He offered. Then, a large man stepped around the corner, standing only 50 feet away from them. 

"Holy sh-"  
  
"Run!" Wes yelled as he pulled Fred in the opposite direction. Gunn turned and ran after them. Loud thumps were heard as the heavy man's feet pounded the floor. "In here!" Wes said as they reached the end of the hall. He pushed the door on his right open and began to walk in. It was the huge ballroom he had visited before. The one that had trapped him in his own dusty hell.  
  
"No!" Fred yelled and yanked her hand back. "No more rooms!" She started to cry, "Bad things always happen in those rooms and that one...that one's the worst and what if we get sucked up again and I can't take that, no not again. No more rooms, Wes. no more rooms."

Wes looked back to the huge man running at them. "Fred. Trust me. We'll be ok." He gently tugged her into the room and Gunn slammed the door shut behind them.   
  
"Great idea, Wes." Gunn muttered. "We got nothing to hold the door shut."  
  
"We have ourselves. And that's going to have to do."  
  
"And what if it doesn't? What if he gets through here?"  
  
"Well, that's not an option."

******

In any other, normal, healthy situation, Cordelia would not have been able to believe it. But, this was no normal, healthy situation. An hour ago, the house had been gone, and they had been plunged into the world of the Langoliers. But now, as she looked around the weed-riddled backyard, a large Victorian mansion stood. Like it belonged there. Like it was impossible to think otherwise. Like it was just a normal, healthy situation. 

But of course, she knew better.

"Ok. What now?" She inquired.   
  
"We go back inside through this door." Angel answered simply.   
  
"And what if it doesn't lead to the inside?"  
  
"We have to try." Angel began walking around the house to the front porch. Cordelia followed him silently. When they reached the front door, they exchanged nervous glances before turning the knob and pushing it open. 

Normal. Completely and totally normal.   
  
"Of course it's normal." Cordelia muttered. "It's playing with our heads." Angel said nothing as he walked into the foyer. Cordy followed him, mumbling something incoherently about a wrecking ball.   
  
"Shh." He whispered to her as they ascended the stairs. They made their way to the second level and looked around. Everything was how they left it. The first door to the left was ajar, and through the tiny crack, Angel saw nothing but darkness. He knew there was no point in checking. There would be nothing there. "Why don't we go this way this time?" He point to the right, where a set of double doors waited at the end of he hall.   
  
"I got a better idea. You go that way... _I'll _go _that_ way." Cordy pointed down the stairs towards the main entrance.

"Ok. See you around."   
  
Cordy said nothing but punched him, not so playfully. 

"Those doors must led upstairs."  
  
"Don't say that. Every time you say the word _must_, something happens to us and we almost go ka-plooey." Angel shot her a look and she returned it. "Look, all I'm saying, is in a world where we have vamps, seers, demons, and slayers, Murphy's Law doesn't sound so far fetched anymore, does it?" 

Angel once again said nothing, but silently agreed. "Ok. Let's go to those doors." He began walking and Cordelia followed him, practically jogging to keep up with his long strides. 

"Ok... let's play pretend, shall we? Ok, we find Wes, Gunn and Fred. They're alive. Then we find Adam. Now what? We have no weapons, Angel. No knowledge of what he is, if knowledge even exists, that is. And...a-and let's pretend we kill Adam. We can't get out of here unless Eve lets us." Angel stopped walking and looked at her. "Yeah, you know its true as much as I do. Angel, this woman has enough power to make a fictional house and tap into our hippocampus to see what memories and thoughts are hiding. We aren't going to defeat her without weapons, and ya think she's just going to left them just chillin so that we can find them and stop her? No way. I wouldn't be surprised if that door led to a brick wall."

Angel sat silent, letting her words sink in. "Ok, Cordy, let's continue your game. We give up now, and sit here. Fred dies, because she can't defend herself. Wesley gets hurt and can't fight. Gunn is stuck defending for two people. And then, Adam finds them. He kills them both with nothing more than a few back hands to the face, and then there's only us left, but here we are, giving up, and giving in_. _He finds us, and we just give up, and we die. What then, Cordy? Just... just let Lorne stay at the Hyperion, never knowing what happened to us? Allow Connor to grow up, never remembering us? Oh I know--"

  
"Shut up, Angel."  
  
"--Lorne can tell Connor about the great fight his CHAMPION father put up when his friends were in danger."

"Shut _up_, Angel."

"How I _sat down _and _gave up _because I didn't think it was _worth _it! Is it worth it to you, Cordelia!? Is it?"  
  
"SHUT UP!" Cordelia snapped her hand out and slapped Angel hard across the face. He didn't show the least sign of hurt, but his eyes glared. Cordelia's jaw tightened, and she swallowed hard. "Of course it's worth it, you asshole, I'm just telling you to _think it over_."

Angel stared at her a moment longer, then his expression softened. "I know... Cordy. I know, I'm sorry... I'm just-"  
  
"Really stressed." Cordelia sighed. "I know. I'm sorry, too. This house...this stupid house. I've never felt so helpless and negetive before." She sighed again, and her voice was edging on tears. "I trust you to save us...I trust you with my life...but, theres this huge part of my brain screaming, _Theres no way out, just give up._ And I want to listen to it. Embrace it even. Oh, God." Cordelia sobbed and leaned back against the wall, letting herself slide down until she was sitting on the floor. 

Angel sighed and knelt down in front of her. "I hate to tell you this...but he isn't listening."


	8. Meeting Lilith

[Disclaimer] Please don't sue me. They aren't mine!  
[Feedback] I'm a card holding feedbackoholic   
[Pairing] C&A all the way- with slight W&F shadows

[A/N] I am so sorry this is taking so long, but I'm having a hard time getting through the writers block. I'm not quite sure I like this story as much as I used to, so could you please send me some feedback and tell me what you think? Because I am dangerously close to just deleting it. 

This wasn't right.   
  
Fred should have been waking up in a warm bed, with noise coming from downstairs. Cordelia playing with Connor while Angel cooked breakfast. Wes and Gunn playing a video game with the TV unnecessarily loud. She should be pulling her large, warm comforter off of her. The one Cordelia had bought for her when she returned from Pylea. She would climb out of bed, and take a hot shower, then go downstairs and wait for a vision or a client. 

But she wasn't.

Instead, she was cold.   
  
Fred stirred and gradually woke up. Instead of lying contentedly under her warm comforter, she found herself shivering on the cold tile. The only noise she heard was soft snoring from Gunn and the sound of the seconds ticking away on the dreaded mantle clock. She tried to focus her eyes and she sat up. She didn't know how long she had been asleep, or when the large man outside had left them alone. The last thing she remembered was running into the room, and trying to keep the man out. She didn't quite remember anything else. Time had begun to lose meaning. Fred stood to her feet and looked around. A few feet away, Gunn lay on the ground, the sword only inches form his fingertips. Wes stood at the fireplace, watching the clock. "Wesley." Fred said softly, so not to wake Gunn.  
  
Wes turned around to face her. "Good morning, Fred."  
  
Fred sighed and took a few steps towards him. "Is it really?"

"Really what? Really good or really morning?"  
  
"Both."   
  
Wes smiled in spite of the situation. "No, and yes. It's 7:00 am. But I don't think anything about this can be considered good, huh?"

Fred took a few more steps towards him. "Do you think Cordy and Angel are ok?"  
  
Wes sighed. "There's really no way to tell. It's seven now... we've been here since 10:00 pm. That's nine hours. We haven't seen them in about eight."

"Do you think that man got to them?"   
  
Wes shook his head. "I don't know."   
  
Fred walked the rest of the distance to him. "I'm real scared, Wes." 

He nodded. "I am too."  


She reached out and grabbed his hand and he gently squeezed it. 

"We'll get out of here." Wes said.

"I know. I trust you."   
  
*****

Never before had her feet felt so heavy. 

Cordelia felt like she had been walking for days. Her feet ached and her stomach grumbled and complained about it's lack of dinner. She found herself daydreaming of lemon chicken, and steak and pork chops... her stomach grumbled again and she felt her mouth water.   
  
Cordy snorted to herself. Talk about Pavlovian behavior.  


Beside her, Angel walked silently. They hadn't spoken too much since their outburst an hour ago. Cordy patted her stomach and tried to focus on other things. 

__

Mommy, I'm home.  
  
Cordelia stopped walking and strained her ears. "Did you hear that?" She asked Angel. He nodded and looked around the empty hallway.

__

Hello, Lilth. I made some cookies for you.

Cordelia stopped walking, and looked around again. "It's coming from that room." She said, pointing a few feet away from them. A simple oak door stood, soft pinkish light seeping through the space from the door and the floor. Slowly, Cordelia made her way, and put her hand on the knob.

__

Yum! Chocolate chip cookies. My favorite.  
  
"Cordy, don't." Angel said, "It's probably just a trap."  
  
Cordelia didn't listen, instead turned the doorknob and stepped into the room. 

Soft pink walls were decorated with beautiful carousel horses. In the far corner, a white dresser stood, the surface littered with crayons and cheap jewelry. A small pink jewelry box sat open, inside a ballerina spun to the tune of _Fur Elise._ A little bed with pink blankets sat across from the dresser, and doll houses and Barbie dolls were scattered all over the floor. 

In the center of the large room, a small, child sat in front of a doll house. Many dolls were scattered around her. Dressed in a white nightgown, her long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail and dark brown eyes peered up at her new visitors.   
  
"Who are you?" She asked.   
  
Cordelia took a few uneven steps towards the child. Angel put a hand on her shoulder. She wasn't sure if it was to support her or to remind her not to get too close. "I'm Cordelia."  
  
A look of happiness crossed the girls features. "My name is Lilth. I live here." A bright smile lit up the child's face. Angel was blown away. Something about the way she smiled told him that maybe she didn't do it too often.

Cordelia shrugged Angel's hand off her shoulder and knelt down in front of Lilith. "Really?" She said, with pseudo surprise in her voice. "What are you playing?"  
  
The smile faded. "I'm pretending."   
  
"About what?"   
  
"I'm pretending... that I have a family. That loves me." Cordelia choked back tears but the girl continued. "Maybe if I wish real hard, I can get out of here."

  
Cordelia stood up. "Angel, we should take her with us." Angel reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards him and away from the little girl.

"Cordelia. I'm sorry you have to see this, and I feel bad for her, too." He lowered his voice when he noticed Lilith staring at him. "But you have to keep in mind how many traps we have fallen into today, and how many times we've almost gotten killed."  
  
"But Angel...She's so young. And she... she's alone. I know what she's going through. I can't leave her."  
  
"Cordelia...We can't do this. Let's just leave now."  
  
Cordy ripped her arm away from his hand. "How _dare_ you think that! This is an innocent child. I'm not leaving her. You can go, I'm staying." Cordy didn't let Angel get another word in as she walked back to the child. She reached down and took her hand. "I will stay with you. How about that?"  
  
Genuine happiness washed across the little girls face and she squeezed Cordy's hand in silent reply. 

"That sounds great." Cordelia and Angel turned toward the sound of the new voice. Adam stood in the doorway, in all his immenseness, with Eve just a few feet in front of him. "Yes." Eve said in a silky smooth voice. "We can make a party out of that. Won't we, Lilth?" 

Cordelia turned towards the little girl who clung to her. The child's hazel eyes turned towards her feet. 

"I don't want a party." Lilith said quietly. 

Eve strolled over to Lilith and yanked her hand off of Cordelia. "No party?" She pushed the child down and put a slender hand on Cordelia's upper arm. "Then we can have one by ourselves. Just us grownups."  
  
Angel rushed to Cordy's side and attempted to remove Eve's hand, but Eve stopped him easily, as she grabbed his hand and yanked it backwards, dislocating his shoulder and sending him sprawling into the white dresser.   
  
"Let's go, dearie. Not much time left." Eve said as she dragged Cordelia out of the room. Cordy let out a startled yelp and tried to pull away from her, but Eve was too strong. 

  
"Angel!"  
  
Angel stood to his feet and cradled his dislocated arm, and began walking towards Eve once more. "Let her go." He said angrily. "Take me."   
  
Eve laughed as she handed Cordy off to Adam, and the large man walked out of the room. "You're worthless to me." She began to turn away, and then, almost as an afterthought, "Don't worry. I won't kill her." She walked out and the door slammed behind her, without being touched. Angel ran to the door and tried to pull it open, but it held fast. 

"Damn it!" He muttered and tried to pull it open again. He was too weak with only one arm. He grimaced as he attempted to shove his arm back into place. A sharp pain accompanied a sickening pop as his shoulder found its place in its socket again. Once the throbbing stopped, he tried to pull the door open again, with both hands.  
  
"It won't work." Angel turned to Lilith, who spoke for the first time since Eve had left. "I've tried to get out a lot of times. She keeps me in here." 

Angel leaned against the door. "Who are you?" 

"I'm Lilith. Don't you remember me?"  
  
"Yes... I mean. Why are you in here?"  
  
"Because... I've been here as long as I remember. My mommy put me in here. Because I'm bad. My mom wanted a special girl. But I'm human."  
  
"...Is Eve your mother?"

"Yes." Lilith nodded and began to cry. "I don't know why she doesn't love me. Why she doesn't want me."  
  
Angel crossed over to her and kneeled down in front of her. "Shhh..." He said, almost a little awkwardly. It had been a long time since he had dealt with a child. "I'll fix this. But first we need to get out of here."   
  
Lilith stopped crying and looked around the room. "If I show you something, will you not tell my mommy?"   
  
"Sure."   
  
Lilith walked over to her bed and crawled under it. A few moments later, she returned, dirty and dusty. "I was playing once and I found this real cool hole in my floor."  
  
Angel waked towards her, and looked under her bad, and sure enough, a trap door lay covered in dust. 

"I never went in it, though. I'm afraid she would find out. I don't know where it goes. But maybe if you go with me, it won't be so scary. Maybe I'll finally get out of this place. And find a real family."  
  
Angel was quiet as he stared at the trap door for a moment longer. "I'm going to get you out of here." He said finally. "You'll get out of this horrible place, and have a real family, one that loves you. I promise."

*****

"Ok." Wesley said, trying to take control of the situation. The clock on the mantel stated 10:00 a.m.. Three hours had passed since he and Fred woke, and they had barely moved from their place in front of the fireplace. At around 7:30, Gunn woke, and joined them in silent prayer that they would somehow find a way out. "We have three bodies, one large man, and a sword." He held the sword that had gotten them into so much trouble before.

"And yet, we are still the losing team." Gunn said, a little angry. "And we aren't getting any points by sitting in here, hiding."  
  
"Well, we're still alive." Fred offered, "I think that's winning."  
  
"Yeah, but how long until Frankenstein gets tired of playing hide and seek and just rips our heads off. That man could have easily taken that door off and gotten us, you know it's true Wesley. We are only alive now because he wants us to be. And that's it. A game of cat and mouse. He's only playing."

"Charles, don't talk like that." Fred protested.

"Gunn is right." Wesley admitted. "We need to take a chance and get out of here. He may be gone."  
  
"But he may not!" Fred said, growing panicked now.  
  
"Fred, if he's out there, he could easily get in here. We aren't safe anywhere. We may as well try to get out." Wes pointed to a door opposite the one they had come in. "Gunn, if that's the door we went through to get in here the fist time, then we will be going towards the front of the house. Right?"

"Yeah. We went through that door after Angel, Cordy, and Fred fell through the floor."   
  
Wes nodded and began walking towards the door. Gunn followed, and Fred walked behind him, tentatively. Wes threw the door open, and looked down the hall, both ways. "Nothing is out here." He said. As he began stepping out the door, a loud crash sounded in the ball room behind them. Fred shrieked and tried to run out into the hallway, while Gunn and Wesley turned around, taking a defensive stance. As the dust settled, they noticed Angel's large body pulling himself up.   
  
"Angel!" Gunn said, not hiding his happiness.   
  
Fred smiled and ran to her boss. "I was so worried!" She then noticed the child he held in his arms. "Who's that?" She asked.   
  
Angel put the child down and looked around. "This is Lilith. Eve's daughter."  
  
"Ms. Nede brought her daughter to her haunted house?"

Angel took a deep sigh. "No. Ms. Nede MADE this house. And her daughter is trapped in here."

"What do you mean, made it?" Wesley asked. 

  
"I mean, this was all a trap to get me. She made this house up, and separated us, so that she can get me."  
  
"Why does she want you?"   
  
Angel felt a little embarrassed. "She wanted me to make a perfect race. Its a long story. But now, shes got Cordy. We have to find her." 


	9. Be It Ever So Humble

[Disclaimer] Joss has asked me to stop saying I own all things Buffy and Angel, or he wont let me play with them anymore. So, I dont own Buffy. Or Angel. (Happy now, Joss???)  
[Feedback] I'm a card holding feedbackoholic   
[Pairing] C&A all the way- with slight W&F shadows

[A/N] I'm sorry if this isn't written as well as some of the other chapters were. I was majorly distracted, and I was trying desperately to write anything at all, and get over this horrible block. Also, Thank you to EVERYONE who sent me such kind feedback! It really makes me want to write, I'm so glad you like it!

[A/N 2] I have been accused of trying to rip Adam off of the episodes of Buffy in the 4th season... please know that THIS Adam is just a figment of my imagination, and the only reason I named him Adam was due to the Biblical nature of this story. :0) Thanks!

"It's almost over with. Within an hour, I will have used your body to create the perfect child, and you will be no more. Then I'll let Adam hunt your friends down one by one, and we can feed them to my new daughter." Eve grabbed Cordelia's face with her right hand, and squeezed until she was sure she had bruised her. "Wouldn't that be nice? But don't worry. I won't kill you until after you get to watch." She stood up and walked to the pool of water. "I can see them all you know. Your little vampire friend has escaped. And he's taken Lilith. Theyre so pathetic. I tell them and tell them theres no way out and they still refuse to believe me."  
  
Cordelia swallowed her tears of frustration. How could she have been so stupid as to get caught? She wanted to rub her eyes, push the tears back into her skull where they belonged, but her hands were bound to the cold brick wall that she was leaning on.

"It's time to start the ritual." Eve said as she walked into the pool of water in the middle of the room. As she began chanting in a demonic language, a dark red blade appeared in her hand. She made her way back to Cordelia, blade shimmering, despite the lack of light in the room. "I'm finally going to have my perfect child."

*****  
  
"So, let me get this straight." Wes said as he and the gang walked quickly down the hall, following Lilith's direction to Eve's lair. "This is Eve's daughter?"

"Yes."  
  
"And Eve keeps her locked up in this house?"  
  
"Eve keeps her locked up wherever they are."  
  
"Ok, and Eve made this house up, and trapped us in it to get you?"   
  
"Yes." Angel said, "But I wouldn't work, because I'm a vampire. I can't have kids...again."  
  
"She doesn't care about that." Lilith interrupted. 

"Of course she does." Angel argued, "She wanted me to make a perfect race."  
  
"She only needs one child, she can do the rest herself. And this isn't about HAVING a child, but MAKING a child."

"Lilith," Fred said, "I know it's really not my place to say this, but... well, everybody has a garden-"  
  
"Fred!" Gunn interrupted her, "Don't be telling her that. She's like 3 years old."  
  
"Lilith frowned. "I've been around for a long time. I know what my mommy wants to do. I've seen it happen before. She wants to make a baby, not have one."  
  
"What do you mean?" Angel asked, trying desperately to understand what the child was telling him.

"My mom can't have kids, she's going to make one... with the blood of Cordelia. It's a big ritual. She drains her blood, and uses it to make her own child. Once the child is made, she takes it as her own and feeds the baby the remains of it's mother. Then the child can be used as a key to raise an entire army of perfect demon warriors, and then this earth will cease to exist."  
  
"How do you know all of this?"   
  
"Because. I have hundreds of siblings who were killed because they weren't strong enough. My mother and I have walked this earth for over 3,000 years."

"3,000 years!" Gunn exclaimed. "Eve has been trying for 3,000 years and she still hasn't found the perfect child?"

Lilith ignored him as she slowed down in front of a large black door. "This is it. This is where the ritual takes place."   
  
Angel didn't hesitate as he kicked the door in, and walked into the dark room. 

*****

"I knew you were a seer. But I had no idea you were a demon." Eve stood in front of Cordelia, red blade shining with an intimidating glow. A Mah'estas demon. From what I hear those are quite rare. And quite powerful. You'll be perfect for my child." Eve bent down and aimed the dagger at Cordelia's stomach. As she began talking in the strange language again, she pushed the dagger into her skin. The blade cut through easily, and went deep into Cordelia's stomach.

Cordelia cried out in pain, and tried to squirm out from Eve's reach, but each movement only hurt worse. She could feel her life force pouring out of her body, onto Eve and the knife, and she knew it would be time soon. "You're pretty pathetic." Cordelia whispered between tears. "You have to use my strength to make your child." 

  
"No, I believe your wrong. I'm allowing you to assist in my strength. This will be your greatest day, knowing that your blood could make something so important happen. And your day is going to end in about fifteen minutes." Eve and Cordelia both jumped as the door was slammed open. "You again." Eve said simply as she stared at Angel and the rest of the group. She stood and made her way towards them. "I guess I'll just have to kill you now and get it over with."   
  
Adam moved swiftly towards the group. "You'll not interrupt my lady's dream." He growled as he made his way towards them. He punched Angel hard and smirked as he fell back into his comrades.

Lilith grabbed the sword from Gunn's hands. "Hey!" Gunn yelled as she ran off deeper into the room with it. She didn't respond and continued running towards Eve.  
  
"My, haven't you gotten brave." Lilith sneered. "Just because you were born of my blood doesn't mean I won't kill you." Lilith said nothing still. Eve then realized she wasn't towards _her._ She was running towards Cordelia. "I don't think so!" Eve yelled as she reached out to grab Lilith. She ducked under Eve's hand easily and made her way to Cordy.   
  
"I'm sorry I took so long." She whispered as she reached up and freed Cordelia's hands. "_Go._"   
  
Eve reached Lilith and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her to her feet. "You little brat!" She said in her face. "I think it's time I punish you."   
  
"Mommy, no!"   
  
Eve didn't say a word as she reached up with both hands and easily snapped Lilith's neck. The child went limp in Eve's arms immediately. Without thinking, she dropped the girl and turned Cordelia.   
  
Cordelia was gone.

*****

Cordelia struggled to keep her eyes open. She pressed her hand hard on her stomach, trying frantically to stop the bleeding. If she could stay conscious for just a few more minutes, she would be ok. She knew where she was headed, and she knew what would happen once she got there. It was just a matter of _getting_ there. Behind her, in the dark ritual room, she could hear sounds of struggle. Eve would be after her any second. (Come on, Cordelia.) She thought to herself. (Get going. They're depending on this. If you don't do this, you'll all die.)

*****

Fred stared at the large man in front of her. This was it, she knew it. He was too strong. Beside her, Gunn lay unconscience, and Wesley lay a few feet from him, bleeding profusely from his right arm. Angel a few feet in front of her, but he looked like he was ready to go down too. Looking around the room, she noticed Cordelia was gone. (Where did she go?) She thought. But her thoughts were broken as Adam grunted and swung at Angel one last time, sending him sprawling backwards. 

"Adam!" Eve ran to the man and began pulling him out of the room. "Leave them. We have more important things to find."  
  
*****  
  
"Cordelia."   
  
Cordelia started to cry as she heard Eve behind her. (Keep going!) By the large footsteps, she could tell Adam was with her too. (Good. Then that means the rest of them are safe now.)

"Cordelia, I don't want to hunt you, but if you make me I will make it hurt that much worse."   
  
Cordelia took a few more steps and almost sobbed with relief when she saw the door. Leaning on the door for support, it took all her strength to turn the knob and stumble in. She already began feeling better as she fell to the ground. (Just a few seconds, and it'll be better. Just a few more seconds.) Cordelia started to laugh uncontrollably as Eve and Adam walked in behind her. It didn't matter if they killed her now. At least she would go down with a fight.

This was exactly where she wanted them. The best room in the house. The only that amplified her demon.  
  
*****

"Angel!" Fred shook him hard, "Angel, get up!"  
  
Angel groaned as he sat up. "Where's Gunn and Wes?"

"Right behind you."  
  
"What about Lilith?"   
  
"I... actually, I don't know."  
  
Angel jumped to his feet and scanned the dark room. He saw her fragile form crumpled along the far wall. "Lilith!" He yelled and ran to her. He bent down and held the young girls hand. Beside her body, the jade sword lay. He picked it up and looked at it, angered.  
  
"Is she..." Fred asked, unable to finish.   
  
Angel nodded. "Yeah. Yeah she is. Eve, uh... Eve must have done this."  
  
Fred felt her bottom lip tremble as tears threatened to overflow her eyes. "But she was so little."  
  
"I know... come on Fred." Angel stood up, "We have to help Gunn and... Where is Cordelia?"   
  
Fred looked around. "She's gone. I don't know where she went."  
  
"I have to find her. Stay here with Wes and Gunn, DO NOT leave this room unless necessary."   
  
Fred nodded and Angel ran towards the door.

  
"Be back soon." He yelled over his shoulder as he made his way out the door, and disappeared down the hall.

*****

"What did I tell you about making this hard?" Eve asked as she walked menacingly towards where Cordelia lay on the floor.   
  
Cordelia smirked. "Trying to take me down will never be easy." She said and shot a white hot blast from her hands.   
  
Eve screamed as it hit her and Adam and the duo fell backwards. Cordelia pulled herself to her feet. The blood had stopped, but her stomach still screamed with pain as she moved her muscles.   
  
"You'll never defeat me." Eve said as she got to her feet.

"Maybe not. But I'll be damned if I go without a fight."

  
Eve growled as she threw Cordelia across the room with little more than a flick of her hand. Cordelia groaned in pain as she tried to stand again. Before she was even on her feet completely, Eve threw her again. "Has this been enough fight for you?" Eve teased, "Can I finish killing you now?" She strolled to where Cordelia was sprawled on the floor. Without hesitation, she reached down and pulled Cordelia to her feet.   
  
Cordelia looked at her with a small smirk, and no words.

  
Eve growled. "Tell me how you find this funny. I'm winning."

Cordelia didn't say a word as her body started to glow white. Eve screamed as the glow grew and covered her, draining her of all her energy. 

Only seconds later, Eve fell to the floor, unconscious. Cordelia breathed hard, worked out from exerting her powers. "Well?" Cordelia asked Adam, who stood against the far wall. He growled and made his way towards her. 

Just as he passed the open doorway, an arm shot out from the hall, and lopped his head off in one clean swipe.   
  
Cordelia smiled at Angel, standing in the doorway. "Can I see that?" She asked finally. He tossed it to her without a word. "I've been waiting forever to do this." She brought the sword high above her head, then slammed it down into Eve's rib's with a quick motion.

Eve's body jerked, but she made no sound as black light poured from her mouth, then eventually, her entire body faded away.

"Looks like it's over." Angel said finally.

  
"Looks like."  
  
*****

"What time is it?"

Wesley looked at Fred, then his watch. He and the gang now stood in what should have been the front yard of Nede manor. Now just an empty lot, with nothing more than garbage and weeds. In the sky, the moon hung overhead. "10:10 p.m."   
  
"You mean we've been in there for 24 hours?!" Gunn said in disbelief.  
  
"No." Cordelia said with a sigh. "We've been in there for 10 minutes." 

"10 minutes?" Fred asked in awe. "How does that work?"  
  
Angel sighed. "Who knows? Who cares? Let's just get home."  
  
"Ahhh..." Cordelia sighed. "Be it ever so humble, right?"

"There's no place like home." Fred finished cheerily. 

The gang climbed their way into Angels car and didn't even bother to look back.

From the old, decrepit lot, Lilith watched with a smile. "_Home Sweet Home." _She whispered. "It;s great to be free."

*****  
THE END!!!!!  
FINALLY!

*****

~*Shannon*~


End file.
